Dakota Place — Seattle, WA

110 seated / 160 standing · Seattle, WA · $83 per hour · outside catering allowed

Dakota Place is an indoor event venue in the City of Seattle Parks and Recreation rental system, holding 110 guests seated at tables or 160 standing, and renting at $83 an hour. What sets it apart from the department’s larger halls is the combination of a low hourly rate with an open catering policy: renters may hire any caterer they choose, or simply pick up food and have it dropped off in disposable containers, which the department does not count as catering at all. Alcohol is permitted for a $75 fee, with a refundable $500 damage deposit on the booking. The booking route is a written Indoor Application filed no fewer than 30 days ahead, processed in 5 to 10 days on a first-come, first-served basis. Check availability or request a quote for Dakota Place on VenueKonnex.

Space Features

• Capacity: 110 guests seated, or 160 standing. The venue is quoted at both figures, so the usable number depends on whether the event is seated at tables or a standing reception.
• Indoor venue within the City of Seattle Parks and Recreation indoor rental program.
• Alcohol is permitted under the department’s permit conditions — it is not a dry room.

Pricing & Inclusions

• Venue rental: $83 per hour. This is the rental rate for the space; the alcohol fee and damage deposit below are separate, and food is not included at any price.
• Alcohol fee: $75.
• Refundable damage deposit: $500. Refundable, so not a cost of the booking in the way the rental and alcohol fee are.

Serving alcohol at no charge to guests carries its own requirement set on top of the $75 fee: insurance with host liquor liability and an endorsement, a banquet permit, and a bartender holding a Class 12 mixologist licence.

Catering

Catering — outside catering allowed. Renters have the option to hire their own caterer. Alternatively, food may be picked up or dropped off in disposable containers; the department states plainly that it does not consider this catering, so the drop-off route does not trigger caterer requirements.

Booking & Lead Time

• Applications are due no fewer than 30 days in advance, submitted as a written Indoor Application. The department states it is unable to make exceptions for last-minute requests.
• Processing takes 5 to 10 days once the application is received, and bookings are handled first come, first served in the order applications arrive — so availability can move while an application is in the queue.
• Applications may be filed up to 12 months ahead. Those furthest out are entered into a lottery processed the following month rather than granted on arrival.
• Changes can be made after an application is submitted, so an early filing does not lock the details.

Good to Know

• The 30-day floor is the real constraint on a short-notice event. Combined with 5–10 days of processing, a date less than about six weeks out leaves very little slack.
• A free bar is treated differently from a cash bar. Serving alcohol at no charge adds the host liquor liability insurance, banquet permit and Class 12 bartender requirements listed above.
• Seated and standing capacities differ by 50 guests. A group near 130 works as a reception but not as a seated dinner.

Best For

Holds 110 seated — sized for mid-range private and community events where an open caterer choice matters more than in-house service.

• Private parties and celebrations
• Community and nonprofit gatherings
• Standing receptions up to 160
• Seated dinners up to 110
• Meetings and workshops

Frequently Asked Questions

How many guests does Dakota Place hold?
110 guests seated at tables, or 160 standing.

What does it cost to rent Dakota Place?
$83 per hour for the venue rental. A $75 alcohol fee applies if alcohol is served, and a $500 refundable damage deposit is collected on the booking.

What deposit is required?
$500, and it is refundable.

Can we bring our own caterer?
Yes. Renters may hire any caterer they choose. Food may also be picked up or dropped off in disposable containers, which the department does not classify as catering.

Can we serve alcohol?
Yes, for a $75 fee. If alcohol is served at no charge to guests, the booking additionally requires insurance carrying host liquor liability with an endorsement, a banquet permit, and a bartender with a Class 12 mixologist licence.

How far ahead do we need to book?
At least 30 days — applications are due no fewer than 30 days in advance and no exceptions are made for last-minute requests. Applications may be filed up to 12 months ahead, with the furthest-out ones entered into a lottery processed the following month.

How long until a booking is confirmed?
Processing takes 5 to 10 days from receipt of the application, and requests are handled first come, first served.

Where is it?
Seattle, Washington.

Related Venues on VenueKonnex

Comparing Seattle venues? Hangar 30 at Magnuson Park is a much larger hall in the same City of Seattle Parks rental system, Haller Lake Community Club is a comparable hourly-rate community hall in North Seattle, and The Swedish Club and Burke Museum cover the membership-club and museum options in the city.

Last updated September 2026 — facts verified against the venue’s own written replies of 15–18 September 2026.

Check availability or request a quote for Dakota Place on VenueKonnex.